A Tory looking to be re-elected as MP for a bellwether seat has blamed health secretary Jeremy Hunt for giving him grossly exaggerated figures on the number of staff at his local hospital.

Henry Smith had stated in leaflets that Crawley Hospital “has over 200 new doctors and nurses since 2010” but the local NHS trust have since stated that the 200 increase claim is actually, errrr, higher than the total number of doctors and nurses working there full stop — let alone any increase.

An email from hospital officials seen by Scrapbook states:

“Surrey and Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust (SASH) has a total of 16 Drs and 73 nurses, healthcare assistants and midwives based at Crawley Hospital

“I was given the information by the health secretary at the dispatch box, which is as official a capacity as I could get as far as I am concerned. I am always looking to work with the latest information so I will absolutely change the hospital staff figures in the future.

Jonathan Allansays:

The Tories are masters at numerological inexactitudes! Each Minister has to compile a daily list of numerological inexactitudes and submit it to Lynton – who then gives it his approval or not. If you fail to get his approval three times in a row then you are not going to get on the list of contenders for Cabinet appointment in a future Tory government. Worse, Lynton will snub you – which is the kiss of death as far as Dave is concerned….